Week 5 - Business Assessment

Purl Soho is a brick and mortar, as well as online, business that specializes in higher end fiber and fiber arts supplies.  This is the place I go to purchase my luxury yarn to knit and weave with.  They have a library of free patterns for knitting, crochet, embroidery, sewing, and weaving available on their website.  Their patterns reflect their website and social media presence perfectly.  Modern, understated, and clean.  

www.purlsoho.com (double weft scarf pattern)

Their LinkedIn page is understated and provides basic details about the company, its size, and the physical location map (although the physical store is still closed as a result of the pandemic).  One is able to go to the website via the link provided on the page.  On Instagram they post pictures of new patterns along with the information about sizes and yarns to use for knit and crochet projects.  Facebook adds an extra element of being able to shop for patterns and product directly from their page.  That is something you cannot do on Instagram.  

At the top of their website is a banner notifying visitors of any sales at the very top, then a menu bar that includes a Search button, Cart, Account, primary categories of items for sale, the pattern library, Newsletter sign up, and Contact Us.  The middle contains a Features Pattern, newsletter sign up and 15% off, more featured patterns/kits, New products and Tutorials.  The bottom contains all of the social media links and numerous menu buttons like Shipping, About Us, Contact Us, Privacy Policy, Return Policy. etc.  The organization makes sense for a retail business site where they alert you to a sale at the very top and have quick product and account buttons at the top for easy access.  In the body is where you will find featured items and kits that draw your eye and attention.  Scroll down to find business related information, as is standard with most sites, as well as some handy tutorials.  This follows a practical flow that most consumers are used to and works well.  Placing the Newsletter button in three locations is wise as well.  Repetition helps draw a consumers attention.  Adding the 15% discount when they sign up for the newsletter is incentive to get them on the mailing list so that they continue to receive updates and reminders to visit the site more often.  

In my opinion Purl Soho has an identity online in scale similar to that of their business.  I don't know if they want to be bigger than they currently are.  On Instagram they have 285K followers and 69,497 people that Like their Facebook page.  They are a retail business out of Soho in New York, NY with an online presence.  If they wanted to increase their online presence they could feature their social media buttons higher up on the website.  They might consider a similar coupon to follow them on either of the two major sites.  I think it depends on what they are most comfortable with as far as trying to grow their business.  Usually more followers means more customers that means more product to sell that means more product to have in stock and to ship.  Then that means more people and more technology and so on.  

Hand and Wrist Warmers I knit back in 2006 with yarn and pattern from Purl Soho.